The American dream for many people is to own their own business and be in charge of their work life. The flexibility of arranging work hours, determining how much -- or how little -- to work and the freedom to set up shop wherever you want to live is extremely appealing. The challenge is finding an occupation meeting your criteria while providing the income needed.

Massage Therapist

"U.S. News and World Report" compiled and published a list of the best careers for 2011, which included massage therapists. It is a growing field with minimal barriers to entry. Therapists require certification in most states. Training can last from as little as a few weeks to two years. Most massage therapists work independently and are associated with one or more work sites, including fitness centers, spas, hospitals, cruise ships, hotels and resorts, and sports centers.

The AARP List

The American Association of Retired Persons published a list of the best job opportunities for 2011. Many were professional occupations requiring a high level of education and certification in a particular field as well as some work experience. The No. 1 job opportunity was accountant. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts jobs for accountants will grow faster than the average for all jobs through 2018. The best opportunities are accountants with the certified professional accountant designation or certified management accountants. Another job opportunity in a field growing much faster than the average with excellent self-employment job prospects is website developer. Additional jobs lending themselves to self-employment possibilities were occupational therapist, financial adviser and physical therapy assistant.

Professional Self-Employment Prospects

The website Jist collects and distributes data on a range of employment topics. Statistics on self-employment is one subject researched. The first three jobs on their list of the top 25 self-employment jobs in 2007 were specialty medical doctors. The rest of the top 14 positions were various professional positions, mainly doctors, medical services personnel and lawyers. Financial services sales agents was No. 15 on the list and No. 16 was a related job field, securities and commodities sales agents.

Additional Top Prospects

Other job opportunities on Jist.com's top 25 list included fashion designer and art director. Jobs in business consisted of management analysts and first-line supervisors. Network systems and data communication analyst was the one technical position on the list. Rounding out the top 25 were personal financial advisors, architects, real estate brokers and clinical psychologists.

About the Author

Meryl Baer worked at a financial firm for 15 years, researching investments and writing newsletters and marketing materials. She also worked at two business schools as an English/business writing instructor, department head and placement director. Baer holds a master's degree in American studies from Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree in business administration from Robert Morris University.